Amos f



(No Model.)

' A-.'F. GERALD.

SEWING MACHINE. NEEDLE.

No. 248,15 Patented Oct. 11,1881;

ATTORNEYS.-

' N. PETERS. PhuloUlbo5nW,Wuhin5to-1. ac

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMOS F, GERALD, OF FAIRFIELD, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ELBRIDGE G.RIDEOUT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEWING-MACHINE NEEDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,158, dated October11, 1881.

Application filed January 15, 1881. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AMOS F. GERALD, ofFairfield, in the countyot' Somerset and State of Maine, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Sewing Machine Needles, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectionalelevation of a part of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same,taken through the line as 5v, Fig. 2, looking upward.

Similar letters of reference. indicate corresponding parts.

The invention consists in combining with a body having a slit, pin, andeye, an inclined splint having itsupper end set outwardly, and a sleeveinclined at the inside of its lower end, having opposite notches on itslower edge, and a slot, as hereinafter described.

Arepresents a sewing-machine needle, which is secured to theneedle-holder ot' the machine in the ordinary manner. In the" needle Ais formed a slit, B, extending from a little below the eye G along oneside of the said eye, and upward to some point above the part of theneedle that passes into the goods, where it passes out at the side ofthe needle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Theinclined or tapered upperen'd ofthe splint 1), formed by the slit B,is sprung or set outward at little, so that when the said splint is leftfree a thread can be inserted between the body A of the needle and theend of the splint D and slipped down through the slit B to the 'eye 0.

The upper end of the splint D is held in place against the body A of theneedle by a sleeve, E, or'other guard. The inner surface of the part ofthe sleeve E that passes over the end of the splint D is inclined, sothat it will pass over the said end and press and hold it close to thebody A of the needle. In the opposite sides of the lower edge of thesleeve E are formed notches or recesses F to receive the thread when itis drawn across the splint D and pressed upward. The movement of thesleeve E is limited by a pin, G, passing through a slot, H,-in the saidsleeve, andinto the bodyA 0f the needle, as shown in Fig. 2. The guard Emay be held down by its own weight, or it may be pressed down by aspring connected with the needle-holder. The guard'E may also beconnected with and supported from the needleholder.

The guard E has been shown and described as made in the form of asleeve, and this construction I prefer as being neat, simple, andeffective; but it may be so made as to pass only part way around theneedle, or it may be made in the form of a lever or cam connected withthe needleholder, and arranged to cover and protect the point or upperend of the splint D.

The advantage of connecting the guard E with the needle-holder is thatin that case only one guard will be required for each machine instead ofhavinga guard for each needle, as is necessary when the guard ispermanently connected with the needle.

In threading a needle provided with my improvement the operator takeshold of the thread I with the thumbs and fingers of both hands, and withhis hands at a little distance apart, and draws the part of the thread Ibetween his hands across the splint D, and presses it upward against thelower edge of the guard E, so that thethread I will slightly raise thesaid guard E, enter the recesses F, and pass over the point of thesplint D. The thread I is then drawn downward through the slit B untilit en ters the eye 0. With this improvement the needle can bethrcadedvery easily and quickly, even by those having imperfecteyesight. The extension of the slit B below the eye 0 allows the splintD to spring outward as the thread passes downward to the eye 0 moreeasily and gradually, and with less danger of breaking than if the saidslit B stopped at the eye 0.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- In a sewing-machine needle, the combination, with thebody A, having slit B, pin G, and eye 0, of the inclined splint D,having its upper end setoutwardl y, and the sleeve E, inclined at theinside of its lower end, and having opposite notches, F, on said loweredge, and the slotH, to adapt the needle to be used as described.

AMOS F. GERALD.

Witnesses JAMES T. GRAHAM, G. SEDGWIGK.

